Sortation systems for use within conveying systems are well known. Such sortation systems can accept parcels, packages, or other articles from one or more input sources, and can discharge the items a plurality of output locations, where they can be stored (such as in storage bins) or they can be conveyed to remote locations.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,552,541 to Riggs discloses an article handling apparatus for diverting articles to one or more branch conveyors. The articles are first discharged from a conventional conveyor which may be inclined or declined. The apparatus includes a plurality of elongated driven carrier rollers arranged in a manner perpendicular to the direction of travel. On some of the carrier rollers are a plurality of supplemental rollers which determine the article's direction of travel. The angular orientation of the supplemental rollers with respect to the axis of rotation of the carrier rollers may be altered to correspond with the desired direction of the article. The axis of one group of support rollers corresponds with the axis of the elongated rollers. However, not all are precisely parallel to the carrier rollers. A second group of supplemental rollers on the carrier rollers is aligned so that articles are diverted onto one branch conveyor and another group of supplemental rollers are aligned so that articles are diverted onto the other branch. Gravity, together with the direction of the rotation of the supplemental rollers upon which the article rests, will cause the article to be diverted to one side or the other.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,735,388 to Brouwer discloses a conveyor system for diverting articles from one conveyor to another. The system includes a plurality of rollers with friction-enhancing surfaces. The rollers are mounted on a pivoting axis which may pivot between nondiverted and diverted positions. FIG. 1 illustrates two rows of rollers in the nondiverted position allowing articles to pass without being diverted to the other conveyor. FIG. 2, on the other hand, illustrates the two rows of rollers pivoted into the diverted position to urge articles towards the other conveyor.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,100,039 to Oderman et al. discloses a turning apparatus for a conveyor system. The turning apparatus is located at the junction of four conveyors. The turning apparatus includes a turntable with driving rollers that project upward above the surface of the turntable. Articles are delivered to the turning apparatus where their orientation and direction of travel are changed. The turntable alters the article's orientation and the driving rollers pull articles onto the turning apparatus and then push them on to the appropriate conveyor.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,456,773 to Titmas, Jr. discloses a system for diverting selected articles from a main conveyor onto spur conveyors while maintaining the relative positions of articles with respect to the direction of travel of the articles. Once an article has been selected for being directed onto a spur conveyor, a plurality of diverter rollers 34 mounted between chains 32 of the main conveyor engage the leading edge of the article and turn the article onto rollers 36 of the spur conveyors.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,567,002 to Russ discloses a load transfer device for conveyors. The transfer device includes a pair of independently rotatable turntables mounted at the junction of a main roller conveyor and a side roller conveyor. Each of the turntables include a set of rollers. The turntables are rotatable so that articles may be directed from the main roller conveyor onto the side roller conveyor and vice-versa.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,081,078 to Richardson et al. discloses an article-sorting apparatus. The sorting apparatus includes a main conveyor and at least one subsidiary conveyor angled away from the main conveyor. The articles are sorted between the main and subsidiary conveyors based upon lateral or longitudinal dimensions of the articles. The main conveyor includes a bed of driven angled rollers adapted to apply a lateral force to urge selected articles to the subsidiary conveyor.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,811,830 to Felder discloses a sorting system for piece goods. The system includes a main conveyor, a sorting station, and a delivery conveyor which are interconnected with the intermediate tracks. The intermediate tracks are constructed as gravity roller tracks with freely rotating rollers.
Although the above conveying and/or sortation configurations include advantages, there is always a need in the art for improvements.